Container



' June 16, 1936. M. P. JUNKIN v CONTAINER Filed Sept. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ,mleolm I? Jan/fin,

June 16, 1936.

P. JUNKIN CONTAIVNER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 13, 1954 gill U T-EDQSTATE Patented June 16,: 1936 s PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Malcolm 1'. Junkin, Lansdownc, Pa alflll or to National Metal Edge Box Company, Philadelphia, Pa, a partnership consisting -of Louis gowlfalltiliamwolf, Howard A. Wolf, and Walter A plication September 1:, 1934, Serial No. 743,812 g I 4 Claims. My invention relates to certain new and useful self-locking cardboard containers or cartons, and

v 1 it relates more particularly to what may be called without the necessity of applying to the carton any additional as means. Thus, it is an object of my invent on to lock the-container, or, in eflect, to sealthecontainer against tamperin by merely closing the lid of the container. With the above and other objects in view which will appear m fully fromthe iollowing detailed i ption and accompanying drawings, my invention consists ofa carton or container of cardboard or some other similar sheet -'material, having a lid cover or closure member at one end and being otherwise completely closed, with the end of the. container directly opposite to the closure member thereof being termed in container, and-with the four sides of the container being either formed in continuation -of each other or being permanently fastened to eachother, and locking tongues carried by the lid or. closure member, expanding wings or'prdiections and flaps associated'with the body of the carton at its cpenend, adapted to receive said tonsues. with the expandin wins or tabs thereof engaging beneath said flaps when the lid is in the fully closed position, thereby to-lock the lid or closure to-the without ready access from without.'-

Myinven'tion further consists of other novel features and-details of construction, all of which will oppear morefully from the foll w de tailed description and aFor the r'o illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is tobe understood that the variousxinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged' a'nd organised and that my invention is not'limitedto theprecise agmanner without any,v additional operation or direct continuation of two opposite sides of the body 1mm and 1 rangement and organization of-the instrumen- '7 Q talities as herein shown and. described.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, Figure 1 represents a perspective view. of a carton embodying my invention, shown in the closed or locked condition, with the. intermediate portion thereof broken away soflastoex pose to view the interior of the bottom of the container. I Figure 2 represents a section 2-2 of Figure 1;

generally on l n Figure 3 represents a section generally on line 3-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 represents a section generally online 4-4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 represents a fragmentary sectional view, on line 55 of Figure 1;

V Figure 6 represents a plan view (6n a reduced scale), of the carton blank before it i as-. sembled into the completed carton;-this blank being formed of cardboard or similar material;

Figure! represents a perspective view of thetop of the carton, shown in the open condition; Figure 8 represents a similar perspective view of the upper end of the carton, with the locking tongues partly projected into the receiving recesses and with the lid partly closed; and

l 'igui'ev 9 represents a sectional: line '9-9 of t Figure 8, on an enlarged scale.

'1he carton of my present invention is preferably formed of a single sheet of material, as

5 indicated particularly inFlgure 6, and naturally can be -made of-anysuitable proportions and ofanydesiredslza' In the particular illustrations shown. the

ton is one designed specially for holding the conventional flat of one-pint whiskey bottle.

in this particular type of carton the wider upright-walls or panels I and 2 may be designated as "front" and "back", respectively, of the carton, whilethe narrow upright walls I and A may be designated as the.sides" of the carton, al-

'- though this ismerely arbitrary nomenclature.

tate the description or explanation of the presand is not significant, but serves merely to facilie'nl v nt o as hereinabove the 'ably formed indirect continuation of two opposite vertical panels or walls of the'containeh- .8 -forinstance, the two opposite front and rear walls and yrespectivelyr The side panels a and I areform'ed in continuation ofthe rear panel 2 on either side thereof. while oneither side of the we! v. mm a M and 3-b are provided, for folding into the interior of the carton, thereby to form a fully closed comer along two of the corners I and 8, without the necessity of sealing said comers their full length by auxiliaryfastening means or corner strips, and also for the purpose of adding rigidity to the container as a whole and for reinforcing the same. Likewise, in order to also form fully closed lower corners 9 and Hi, the bottom tabs It and i2 are formed, either in continuation of the outer side wall panels 3 and4, or in continuation of the irmer side wall panels, or auxiliary side wall panels 6a and 8b. In the particular illustration the bottom tabs II and I2 are formed in continuation of the panels 3 and 4. For facilitating the folding of the hereinabo've described panels with respect to each other, the blank is preferably scored along the lines [3 and I4, l and I8, l1 and I8, and I9 and 20.

The blank is assembled by folding the front and back panels and 2 at a right angle to the bottom panel 5, and parallel to each other, and folding the auxiliary bottom tabs II and 2 at a right angle to the outer side walls 3 and 4, and folding the side walls 3 and 4 at a right angle to the rear wall 2, and folding the auxiliary or inner side walls 6-a and 5-b at a right angle to the front wall I. The exact order of these operations may be varied, naturally, and in the embodiment shown, the panels 6-a and 6b are placed on the inside of the container, while the panels 3 and 4 are on the outside in contiguous relation I to the panels 8-a and 5b. This may be reversed, however, and the panels 3 and 4 placed on the inside and the panels 6-a and 8-42 placed on the outside. In that modification, however, the fastening means, such as the metal edge strips 2| and 22 would be placed along the rear comers 23 and 24 instead of along the front comers I and 8. The tabs II and I2 are placed on the inside of the bottom panel 5, as indicated particularly in Figure 2.

The fastening means 2| and 22 are preferably of a. type disclosed in United States letters Patent No. 1,703,522, February 26th, 1929, although I may employ other fastening means of the tamper-proof type, that is, preferably fastening means of the riveted type, in which the fastening means is deformed in its application to the carton, so that it cannot be readily removed without detection.

The lid or closure member 25 is formed integrally with the back panel 2 and is folded therefrom along the score line or fold line 28.

From the outer side walls 3 and. 4 (or from the outer side walls 6-0 and 8--b, if these are to be placed on the outside), the top tabs 21 and 28 are extended and folded therefrom along the score or fold lines 29 and 30. From the lid or closure member 25, two side tongues 3| and 32 extend, to be folded therefrom along the score or fold lines 33 and 34, respectively, each having a self-expanding wing or tab portion 35 and 36, respectively, folded therefrom along the fold or score lines 31 and 38, respectively. A central i locking tongue 39 is also extended from the free end of the lid or closure 25, to be folded therefrom along the fold or score line 4ll, having expanding wings or looking tabs 4| and '42 extending therefrom, and adapted to be folded therefrom along the fold or score lines 43 and 44.

The lockingwings or tabs 35 and 36, 4| and 42, are adapted to be folded (along the fold or score lines 31, 38, 43 and 44, respectively), when the box or carton is being closed; said locking wings and 36.

This slight springing away or folding away is due 5 to the fact that the temporary folding of the locking wing portions against-the corresponding tongue portions does not give such folds (31, 38, .43 and 44) a permanent set, but leaves a certain resiliency in-the bends or folds, which tends to deflect the locking wing portions 35, 38, 4| and 42 at an angle to the locking tabs or tongues 3|, 32 and 39, from which these locking wings depend. ,The upper edge of the front panel carries a front tab 45 folded therefrom along the at its greatest width near its base, that is, across the points 48 and 43. The front edges 50 and 5| of the upper tabs 21 and 28 are preferably off-set slightly from the comer edges 52 and 53, as indicated particularly in Figures 6 and 7, so that when the flaps or tabs 21 and "28 are folded down,

a clearance will be provided between the edges 50 and 5|, and between the upper edge 54 of the front panel I, suflicient to receive the locking tongues 3| and 32 with their respective wings Inclosing the carton (after the merchandise or contents has been placed therein) the tabs 21 Thereupon the wings 35 and 36, and the wings 35 4| and 42 are folded against their respective locking tongues 3| and 32 and 38, and while in this folded condition, the tongues with the respective wings are inserted into the clearances'between the edges 50 and 5|, and the edge 54, and

in the slot 41, as indicated particularly in Figures 8 and 9. When the insertion has been completed to the point where the lid or closure 25 is in the fully closed position, the slightly inclined or off-set edges 55 and 5s, and 51 and as clear the inner surfaces of the tabs 21, 28 and sumciently to permit the wings 35, 36, 4| and 42 to spring away slightly from their respective tongue portions 3|, 32 and 39, and to assume a position at an angle thereto, as indicated particularly in nently locking the carton against unauthorized tampering, so that if the carton is opened, a sufficient destruction of the carton is necessary-to make an unauthorized and undetected opening of the carton impossible.

It will be observed ,that only relatively slight additional fastening means, such as the fastening means 2| and 22 is required along two edges, while all the other edges require no fastening means whatever, because they are formed along bends between two continuously formed panels.

While in the particular illustration of my invention hereinabove described and shown in the accompanying drawings, successive panels are shown as being formed in continuation of each other in one certain way, it is to be understood that this may be varied to the extent indicated, without departing from iny invention.

Likewise, while the container or carton shown is particularly designed for whiskey bottles. other merchandise may likewise be packaged in this carton of my presentv invention. In either event, however, the merchandise or contents augments the natural resiliency or stiflness or form-retaining characteristics of the cardboard in keeping the auxiliary side panels 6a and S-b flush against the outer side panels 3 and 4, so as to give the carton, and particularly the corners I and 8 the full rigidity and strength 01' a completely closed corner (resulting from the folds "and l8).' r

I am aware that my invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reierence being had to the appended claims .rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention,

Having thus described my invention, what I hereby claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:- V I 1. A tamper-resistant container, comprising bottom and side walls formed in continuation of each other, a lidextending from one of the side walls, a slotted tab extending from the opposite side. wall, and opposed side tabs extending from the other side walls, a pair of opposed and similar locking tongues carried near the outer ends of the free edge of the lid and an intermediate locking tongue carried by the lid therebetween and locking wings extending from each of said looking tongues and folded with'respect thereto alonE resilient folds; said tongues and wings being adapted to be inserted in the aforesaid slot and between the edges of said side tabs and the up per front edge of the container, and said lockingwings being adapted to told away from their respective locking tongues in the closed condition of the lid; therebyto lock the lid against undetected opening.

2. A tamper-resistant container including .closure tabs extending from the upper tree edges of the side walls, a lidextending from the upper free edge of another, side wall, and a pair 0! cpposite and spaced locmng tongues carried by the outer ends of the free edge otthe lid, lockingexpanders extending from each of said locmng tongues, and a tab extending from the upper edge oi the side wall of the container opposite to the side wall from which the lid extends;saidposite side wall in operative alignment with said lid, opposed side-tabs extending from the other side walls'in operative alignment with said lid, a pair of opposed and similar locking tongues carried near the outer ends. of the Iree edge of the lid, said first mentioned tab extending between said pair of opposed locking tongues from the upper front edge 01 the container, and locking-expanders extending from each of said locking tongues and folded with respect thereto along resilient folds; said tonguesand expander-s being adapted to be inserted between the edges of said side-tabs and the upper front edge of the con-'- tamer, and said locking-expanders being adapted toiold away from their respective locking tongues in the closed condition of the lid, thereby to lock the lid against undetected opening.

4. A tamper-resistant container comprising front, back and side walls, a lid hingedly extending from the back wall, tab means extending right angularly from a side wall, the side edge of said tab means adjacent the front wall being spaced from said front wall to form a narrow.

opening between said tab. means and the front wall, a locking tongue connected to the free edge of said lid along a folding-line, and a lochng expander extending from a side edge of the'locking tongue along a resilient foldand adapted when collapsed against said tongue freely to be received therewith in said narrow opening, said expander having its locking edge bevelled inwardly from its folding-line to its free edge and adapted, when the tongueand expander arcinserted into said narrow opening and the expander progressively opens away from the tongue, to jam.

a ainst the under side of said tab means.

p i MALCOLM P. mm. 

